For all the hate Windows 8 gets, 8.1 is a big improvement. Go install Classic Shell, do a quick registry tweak to remove the "swipe to unlock" picture (make a backup first!), and you have Windows 7 with a speed boost. For power users, the Task Manager and the file transfer progress indicator are MUCH better than on Windows 7. Plus, since this is a retail copy, you can reinstall Windows whenever you need/want to with no issues.

While 8.1 is an improvement over 8 in terms of performance, and they managed to place the start button on the desktop.... The UI choice is horrendous, should of been it's own thing for touch tablets.

Swiping things in certain places on accident brings up search charms, and all this other crazy non-sense. Moving your windows occasionally minimizes everything. It's a hassle to just have to turn all this stuff off as well.

If you have to get Windows 8 or have that thing pre-installed, get the update as soon as possible to 8.1.